Julian Nagelsmann’s managerial career started three years ago, when the Hoffenheim board took a chance on the young German coach and what they got in return was a manager with brilliant tactical nous and a spot in the Champions League for the first time in the club’s history.

Nagelsmann is a training-ground innovator, he focuses on video technology to help improve his team. At Hoffenheim he had a video-wall installed with two cameras from a tower on the halfway line and one behind each goal, this gave him the ability to rewind and pause videos to show his team where they can improve in their shape and movement along with other things. Hoffenheim were also one of the only clubs in the world to use Footbonaut which is a piece of technology which helps to fine tune a players touch and control.

Nagelsmann often gets compared to Paris Saint-Germain boss Thomas Tuchel with his style of play, they both enjoy a really high pressing play and “attack the opponents near their own goal” Nagelsmann explains this is because the higher up the pitch you win the ball, the less distance you have to go to try and score a goal, meaning he believes it is more effective even if leaving spaces in behind your own defence. Nagelsmann likes to overload areas forcing the opposition to make a mistake.

In the 2016/17 season, Nagelsmann impressed his counterparts so much he was voted Bundesliga Manager of the Season. Over the 3 years he spent at Hoffenheim, he brought exciting football to the club and in 2017/18, he led Hoffenheim to 3rd, their highest finish for 10 years. The 18/19 season saw Hoffenheim finish 9th, Nagelsmann had already signed a contract to take over the job at RB Leipzig before the start of that season and people say this may have been one of the reasons Hoffenheim didn’t finish as high as the previous two seasons.

Nagelsmann has had a fine start to his career at Leipzig winning his first three games and sitting on top of the Bundesliga table. With players such as Timo Werner and Yussef Poulsen, they have the tools to push on and challenge the likes of Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich for the Bundesliga title, as well as have a decent run in the Champions League.